Cast iron steam baseboards?

Chris_15

What happens if you install steam baseboards (e.g., Burnham BaseRay) in a system that is mostly big 3-column "Federal" style radiators. Do the baseboards exhibit totally different behavior with regard to their "thermal intertia?"

Like many houses of its era, this one is monstrously over-radiated, which means the boiler doesn't run but once in a while... but with the huge mass of those cast iron radiators the heat is nevertheless remarkably even throughout the day and night. I'm worried that if we replace one of the big lunkers with a "lighter, faster" radiator, that room would be broiling hot when the steam is on and freezing when it's off.

Steamhead

Cast-iron baseboard

has the same thermal inertia as cast-iron radiators. The difference would be the baseboard would have less heat-transfer surface (EDR) than the old Burnham Federal radiators. This could result in unbalanced heat.

You might be able to partially compensate for this by adjusting the air vents, slowing the big radiators down and speeding up the baseboard.

Also, the baseboard would have to be connected two-pipe, even if the radiators are one-pipe. "The Lost Art of Steam Heating", available on the Books and More page of this site, shows you how and why.

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Unknown

Cast Iron Base Board

When you install cast Iron Base Board you size it for the room. Since you have an old radiator in place all you would need to do is istall an equal amount of EDR in Cast Iron Base Board.

The thermal mass of types of radiators will be about about the same.

Sinc an equal amount of EDR is in place in the room the charactor and comfort will be about the same.

Cast Iron in mass for heating is the best way one can go.


Jacob Myron